Kathryn Woodman Leighton (March 17, 1875 − July 1, 1952) was an American artist, based in Los Angeles, California, best known for her Western landscapes and for portraits of Native Americans.

Early life and education

Kathryn Woodman was born in Plainfield, New Hampshire, in 1875 (some sources give 1876), the daughter of Alfred Woodman and Marie Thomas Gallup Woodman. Her father was a Civil War veteran. Woodman graduated from

Kimball Union Academy Kimball Union Academy is a private boarding school located in New Hampshire. Founded in 1813, it is the 22nd oldest boarding school in the United States. The academy's mission is to "create a deep sense of belonging for every member of our commu ...

in Plainfield. She studied art at the Boston Normal Art School in Boston, Massachusetts.Phil Kovinick and Marian Yoshiki-Kovinick, eds.
''An Encyclopedia of Women Artists of the American West''
(University of Texas Press 1998): 188-189.

Career

Kathryn Woodman Leighton moved to Los Angeles with her husband in 1910. She had a studio at the couple's home on West 46th Street, in South Los Angeles. She traveled to the

Canadian Rockies The Canadian Rockies (french: Rocheuses canadiennes) or Canadian Rocky Mountains, comprising both the Alberta Rockies and the British Columbian Rockies, is the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. It is the easternmost part ...

in 1923, and to Glacier National Park in 1925, to paint landscapes. In 1926, she returned to Glacier National Park, this time as the guest of the Great Northern Railway, commissioned to paint scenes of life among the Blackfeet, including portraits of the tribal leaders. The railroad used Leighton's paintings to promote Western tourism, and Leighton's work turned from landscapes to Native American portraits. She often used Native American actors as models in her Los Angeles studio.Patricia Trenton and Sandra D'Emilio
''Independent Spirits: Women Painters of the American West, 1890-1945''
(University of California Press 1995): 57-64. She painted a life-sized portrait of Los Angeles suffragist and clubwoman

Florence Collins Porter Florence Collins Porter (August 14, 1853 – December 31, 1930) was an American newspaper editor, clubwoman, political campaigner, and activist for Temperance movement, temperance and Women's suffrage in the United States, women's suffrage. Ear ...

in 1930. Her paintings were not innovative in form, but they were hailed as "distinctive" and "historical" for their content; "Kathryn Leighton has painted the Indian aristocracy as Van Dyke painted the British aristocracy," declared a ''Los Angeles Times'' critic. However, another ''Los Angeles Times'' critic commented that the portraits "command my respect and admiration--and yet I do not personally like them." Leighton served a term as president of the California Art Club, and was a member of the

Los Angeles Art Association The Los Angeles Art Association (LAAA) is a membership-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports Southern California artists. LAAA's mission is to provide opportunities, resources, services and exhibition venues for artists living in ...

and the Laguna Art Association. In 1930, works by Leighton were exhibited at Knoedler Galleries in Paris. Her work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

. She had a solo exhibition of her works at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1940. She also donated some of her antique lace collection to LACMA. Her brother

Frederick T. Woodman Frederic Thomas Woodman (June 2, 1871 – March 25, 1949) was an American politician who served as the 31st Mayor of Los Angeles from September 5, 1916 to July 1, 1919. Previously serving in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, he moved ...

was mayor of Los Angeles from 1916 to 1919, and displayed many of Kathryn's paintings in the mayor's office.

Personal life and legacy

Kathryn Woodman married attorney Edward Everett Leighton in 1900; they adopted a son, Everett Woodman Leighton, who followed his father into a law career. She was widowed when Edward died in 1941, and she died in 1952. Leighton's paintings continue to be collected and exhibited, often in shows about women artists in the American West. In 2007 she was included in a show at the

University of Wyoming Art Museum The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...

. The

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...

has one painting by Leighton in its collection, a portrait of Iron Eyes Cody.Kathryn W. Leighton
"Cherokee Dancer (Portrait of Iron Eyes Cody)"
Smithsonian American Art Museum collections.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leighton, Kathryn Woodman 1875 births 1952 deaths American landscape painters American women painters 20th-century American painters 20th-century American women artists Massachusetts College of Art and Design alumni People from Plainfield, New Hampshire Artists from Los Angeles Painters from New Hampshire Painters from California Olympic competitors in art competitions